That's about normal... 2 per year per league... that's the MLB average.

Six perfect games in 36 years—and to think that IRL there were that many in the last four-plus! :eek:

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 29, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

SPORTS NIP CRUSADERS 4-3, LEAD SERIES 3-2
Playing at home in Sports Stadium has been good for LaGrange... they lost the first two games of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series in St. John, but the Sports have rebounded with a vengeance and won the last three in a row to go up by a game in the series... the fourth-seeded Crusaders are on the verge of elimination... the Sports nipped the Crusaders 4-3 in game five... they got a credible job on the mound from Chazz Bassett, who worked into the ninth... closer Earl Perkins got the final out and the save, his first of the postseason... Bassett (1-1/8.10) surrendered 3 runs on 11 hits, fanned 7 and walked 4 for the win... Lou Gianakos (1-1/3.86) was the loser... he had a decent game, yielded 4 runs and 6 hits in 7 frames.

CF Russell Watkins (.333) led LaGrange with 2-3, including a 2-run homer and 3 RBIs... SS Fred Bird (.300) scored 3 times and had 3 hits... 3B Claude DesJardins (.263) batted in the other run for the Sports... heading up the St. John offense with 2 hits each were SS Byron Johannsen (.150), CF Art Kelley (.429), 1B Johnny Zaun (.625) and 2B Norm Murdoch (.467)... 3B Marty Blankenship (.261), SP Lou Gianakos (.333) and Kelley drove in the runs for the Crusaders.

Tycobbian Union

NH HAWKS KO COLCHESTER IN 5 GAMES
North Hills' Frankie Lambert finished off the Colchester Elites 5-3 in game five of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series putting an end to the Colchester season... the Hawks KO'ed them in five games to move on to the TU league championship series against the Tuckanarra-Chicopee survivor... Lambert started off poorly and gave up runs in the first three innings, but got better as the game progress... going the distance Lambert (1-0/4.50) blanked the Elites the rest of the game... overall he permitted 3 runs on 9 hits, walked 3 and whiffed 6... the offensive leaders were 3B Jim McDermott (.400) with a 2-run homer, 2 hits and 2 runs, C Bobby Mitchell (.091) with a 2-run double and CF Kris Anastas (.235) with 2 hits and an RBI.

RF Blake Barrister (.304) and 1B Billy Christianson (.292) kept it close with solo homers for Colchester... It was Barrister's third roundtripper of the playoffs and Christianson's second... Eduardo Rivera (0-1/4.80) was not at his best as he was ripped for 5 runs and 10 hits in his 7 innings... Rivera totaled 6 Ks and walked 3.

Todd Simons, North Hills' manager, assessed the series to the press corps, "Normally it's our pitching that carries us, but it was our offense that got us by Colchester... for us to get past Tuckanarra or Chicopee, we are going to have to really hit the ball well."

Colchester's manager Patsy Bates simply stated, "The Hawks are a tough ball club... they have a fine bunch of pitchers... they did a good job on us... we just didn't have the ability to stop their hitters... I think that was the key."

North Hills was rated the third best club in the Pro Cup playoffs, while Colchester was pegged the fifth-best team.

BRAVES BLANK JAYS 1-0, LEAD SERIES 3-2
Defending Pro Cup champ Tuckanarra took the first two games of the Tycobbian Elite 8 on its home turf, but Chicopee roared back at home with three wins in a row to take a 3-2 edge in the series... the Braves got great pitching from Ryan Ledbetter and three relievers to beat Junior Bristow and the Blue Jays 1-0 in game five... the winning score came in the second inning when LF Alfredo Cobos (.500) and RF Iron Jacket Chandler (.389) singled to place runners on first and second... they moved up on a groundout... then 3B Cooter Whitter (.353) plated Cobos with a base hit.

Ledbetter (1-0/1.69) logged the win with 7 shutout innings... he was touched for 7 hits, walked only one and struck out 5 batters... Jimmy Beckworth got the last four outs and got the save, his first of the playoffs... loser Junior Bristow (1-1/2.00) was almost as good as he allowed 9 hits and only one run.

Chandler led the Braves with 3-4 and Cobos went 2-4... RF Cobar Madija (.556) paced the Blue Jays with 2 hits.

The series returns to Tuckanarra for game six tomorrow afternoon... game seven, if needed, will also be played there.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 30, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

ST. JOHN SLIPS BY SPORTS 2-1 TO KNOT SERIES 3-3
Back at home favored St. John got back on the win track with a 2-1 triumph over underdog LaGrange to even up the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at three apiece, forcing a decisive game seven... three pitchers combined for the victory... Vito Sanfratello redeemed himself after a poor outing in his last start... Sanfratello (1-1/5.73) got credit for the victory... he went 6 and one-third innings, limited the Sports to just one run on 8 hits, fired 5 strikeouts and walked only one batter... Big Tee Telemachus retired the only two men he faced in the seventh and Raydon Burks retired the side in the eighth and ninth to cop the save... Burks struck out 3 of the 6 batters he faced.

2B Norm Murdoch (.444) and LF Gilbert Hall (.294) doubled to give St. John a 1-0 lead in the second inning, then Hall was driven in by SS Byron Johannsen (.167) on a groundout to second base, making the score 2-0... LaGrange's only score came in the sixth on 1B Chris Charbonnier's (.200) RBI single... Sports starter Nicky Palermo (1-1/1.65) was sharp in his 7 and one-third innings... he allowed only 2 runs and 5 hits, but still lost it. St. John got 6 hits and LaGrange smacked 8.

The Crusader bats were topped by LF Gilbert Hall (.294) with 2 hits, a run and an RBI... and by CF Art Kelley (.458), who stroked a pair of hits... three Sports chalked up 2 hits apiece: 3B Claude DesJardins (.304), C Tony Brinkerhoff (.500) and SP Nicky Palermo (.400).

The series' seventh-game finale is set for tomorrow, also in St. John... the Crusaders will have their ace on the hill and IPA strikeout king, Jeremy Kirk (19-15/3.64) opposed by the Sports' number-one starter Walt Thurber (20-13/2.62)... Kirk won game one 4-3, while Thurber was the victor 6-2 in game four.

Tycobbian Union

CHICOPEE BUMPS TOP SEED TUCKS OUT OF PLAYOFFS
Chicopee didn't allow the top-seeded Tuckanarra Blue Jays to do it again... the Braves made quick work of the defending Pro Cup champion, disposing of them in six games in the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series... last season Chicopee blew a 3-0 lead in the first round to the Tucks, who went on to capture the IPA Pro Cup... Chicopee wrapped it up today 4-2 behind the fine pitching of Byron Wilson and homers by Charley Kota and Cooter Whitter.

Wilson (1-0/2.08) shut down the Blue Jays on 8 hits, fanned 5 and walked only one in 8 and two-thirds innings... closer Johnny Stewart got his second save by striking out the only batter he faced in the ninth... losing pitcher Rudy Rosario (0-1/3.75) started for Tuckanarra and went 7 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 7 walks.

The Braves jumped ahead 4-0 in the first four frames... in the second three walks and a groundout by C Joel Gamble (.217) put them up 1-0... in the second Kota's (.292) two-run homer made it 3-0... and Whitter (.400) went deep and pushed it to 4-0 in the third... LF Lorne Evans provided all of Tuckanarra runs with 2 solo roundtrippers in the last of the fourth and eighth.

Chicopee skipper Ivan Burkholder said after the game, "I would have been tarred, feathered and run out-of-town, if I have blown it again this year." He added, "I've got to give our pitchers credit... they won it for us this year by shutting down the Tucks in games 4, 5 and 6... Chaska, Ledbetter and Wilson were outstanding."

A very disappointed Lefty Stevens told the press, "This really looked like our year again... I truly expected us to win the Pro Cup again... even when we fell behind three games to two... this is a very good ball club... we had the home field advantage and were primed to repeat, but we lost to a better team... congratulations and good luck to the Braves... Ivan is right... his pitching the last three games was superb and the main factor in the series."

Second-seeded Chicopee got past the number-one seed Tuckanarra in the Elite 8, now they have take on the third seed, the North Hills Hawks, in the Tycobbian championship series, the TU Final 4.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 1, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

KIRK STOPS SPORTS 5-1, CRUSADERS ADVANCE IN PRO CUP
Fourth-seeded St. John had more than it bargained for with the eighth-seeded LaGrange Sports in the Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series... the Crusaders regrouped after falling behind 3-2 after five games and won the last two games of the tense series to advance to the RU championship series against sixth seed Cold Creek... St. John prevailed four games to three, capturing all four of its home games, while LaGrange won all three of theirs at their home place.

The man that made it possible was fireballin' 23-year-old Jeremy Kirk, who stopped LaGrange 5-1 in the seventh game of the series at St. John's Cathedral Stadium... Kirk (2-1/3.00) held the Sports to one run on 6 hits in 8 frames with no walks and 9 Ks... he gave way to reliever Lou Neuman in the ninth, who got the side out in order to clinch the series.

St. John got all of its runs in the first two innings, sparked by RF Nicky Farrugia (.259), CF Art Kelley (.464), 1B Johnny Zaun (.583) and SS Byron Johannsen (.179)... they all had 2 hits each... Johannsen doubled in a pair of runs... Farrugia slugged a homer... Zaun triple in a run... and Kelley singled in a run... LaGrange's only score came on a triple by SS Fred Bird (.250) in the eighth.

Commenting on the Crusaders' narrow escape, manager Clayton Luck said, "Thank goodness for Sanfratello and Kirk... they really dominated in game six and seven when we really needed it."

LaGrange skipper Quincy Peterson spoke briefly at the press conference and congratulated Luck and the Crusaders. "The mark of a good team is to come through when you have to... St. John did it when they had to, whether at the plate or on the hill... Quincy has a rock solid club... they should do well in the rest of the playoffs."

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 2, 2036

IPA PLAYOFFS DOWN TO FINAL 4
Three of the top four seeds are still in the running for the IPA Pro Cup... only top seed Tuckanarra bit the dust in first round action as they were knocked out by the number two seed Chicopee Braves... number three North Hills Hawks, number four St. John Crusaders and number six Cold Creek Catamounts also made it to the Final 4 round... these teams are so close in talent that home field advantage might be a difference maker... the Tycobbian league combatants are Chicopee and North Hills... they will open up at the Hawk's Nest this Saturday afternoon... Cold Creek and St. John will tangle for the Ruthlandian league title... game one and two are scheduled for Holmes Field in Cold Creek.

The Chicopee-North Hills affair will be a good one... the Braves hit better than the Hawks, but the Hawks have the superior pitching... Chicopee played extremely well in eliminating defending IPA champ Tuckanarra in six games... the Braves batted .297 against the strong mound staff of the Blue Jays and got enough pitching with 3.54 ERA to hold them at bay... the Hawks whipped a good Colchester club in five games, posting a solid 3.17 ERA, while batting a strong .294... this series is too close to call, but beating Tuckanarra makes Chicopee a very slight favorite.

The Cold Creek-St. John series should be a very good one, too... Cold Creek got outstanding pitching against Colfax with a superb 2.20 ERA... and the 'Cats also hit better than expected with a .284 BA to finish off the Blasters in a series sweep... the Crusaders are a well-balanced club with a .312 BA against LaGrange and a 3.30 ERA... St. John took the series in seven games, but had to come back from a 3-2 deficit... this series is a toss-up, too... Cold Creek's pitching is a big plus in any short series... look for a Chicopee-Cold Creek Pro Cup Final.

I really like your format. There's so much history and I don't know where to begin. I mean, should I start from page 1?? :ohmy:

Thanks for posting.

You are right, it is a massive amount of info and too much to cover.
64 teams are entirely too much to cover and to follow.
By the time I realized this in the first few seasons, I fell in love with all of the teams and couldn't give them up. So I just made some major adjustments and stay with all 64 teams.

If I were you, I would just skim through each of the 36 seasons, keying only on the Pro Cup team rankings (a playoff preview), each game of the Pro Cup Finals and look at the Award winners at the end of each season.

If you are really serious about learning about the IPA, skim through the pages and look for articles entitled "Around the Town in the IPA"... it will give a history and demographics of each town in the league.

For a brief background read posts #1 through #4 on page 1.
Read article "Trouble Looming in Pro Baseball" on page 34, post #661.
I began with only 12 teams, then expanded to 64.
Read through post #676 for all the details.

Post #622 on page 32 covers the Pro Cup playoff teams and their rankings in the league's first year.
Skip to post #638 (also on page 32) which begins coverage of each game of the first Pro Cup championship series. You might glance at the Award Winners after the playoffs conclude.

Then repeat this for each season. That would give you some feel of the league history.

The Playoff Preview for the second season is post #777 on page 39.
The Pro Cup Finals for the second season are covered beginning with post #838 on page 42.
The Awards News will follow the Pro Cup championship series.

I hope this helps you some.

Thanks again for your interest.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 4, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

CRUSADERS BEAT CC 'CATS 5-3 IN 14 INNINGS
In a terrific and tense struggle St. John prevailed in 14 innings over Cold Creek in the opening clash of the Ruthlandian Final 4 at Holmes Field in Cold Creek... Byron Johannsen's 2-run triple put the Crusaders one up in the best-of-seven series... Raydon Burks (1-0/1.29) got the win in relief by holding the Catamounts to one run in 4 innings... Lou Page relieved him in the 14th and notched the save with a 1-2-3 inning... George Bailey (0-1/9,00) was the loser as he permitted 2 runs and 4 hits in his 4 frames... both starting pitchers were outstanding... Jeremy Kirk worked 9 innings for the Crusaders and gave up 2 runs on 8 hits, struck out 5 and walked only one... J. J. Gillespie went 8 innings, yielded just one run on 7 hits, while whiffing 6 and walking 2.

Offensively St. John collected 12 hits and was led by SS Johannsen (.235) with 3-6 with help from RF Nicky Farrugia (.265), who was 2-7 with a 2-run homer... Cold Creek registered 14 hits in defeat, led by C Arved Tarand with 3 hits, a run and an RBI.

St. John got some bad news... Johannsen hurt his back on his game-winning hit and he could be out of action for a week or so.

Tycobbian Union

NH HAWKS FLY BY BRAVES 6-3 IN OPENER
At home at the Hawk's Nest, North Hills snapped a 3-3 tie with 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Chicopee 6-3 in the opening game of the Tycobbian Union title series... the winning run came in on a wild pitch with the bases loaded... 1B Ric Hamilton plated the other 2 runs with a single.

Braves SS Felix Roubique (.227) put them in the lead with a run-scoring double in the top of the second inning... Hawks 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.500) knotted it up 1-all with an RBI single in the bottom of the second... Chicopee regained the lead with LF Alfredo Cobos' (.407) 2-run homer in the third, only to have the Hawks tie it up at 3-3 in the sixth on Ivonoski's 2-run single.

Starter Jeff Owens (2-0/2.55) picked up the win with a solid outing... Owens allowed 3 runs and 9 hits, fanned 3 and walked 3... Tony Mack got the save with a scoreless ninth... the defeat went to Heyota Chaska, who weakened in the late innings... Chaska (1-2/4.15) was shelled for 6 runs and 11 hits in his 7-plus innings.

Topping the Hawks 12-hit attack were Ivonoski, who went 4-for-4 and drove in 3 runs and Hamilton (.393), who was 2-for-5 with 2 runs batted in... LF Cobos paced the Braves with 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBIs... 2B Todd Goodwin (.250) also had a pair of hits.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 5, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

CRUSADERS CLUB CC 'CATS 6-3 IN GAME 2
On the road in Cold Creek, St. John mauled the Catamounts mound corps for 14 hits en route to a 6-3 triumph in game two of the Ruthlandian Final 4 to leap in front 2-0 in the series... the Crusaders also got a good start from lefty Vito Sanfratello (2-1/3.66), who held Cold Creek to 3 runs - only one earned - and 7 hits in 8 and two-thirds innings... Joey Baker (1-1/2.40) was the losing pitcher... he left after 7 innings trailing 3-1... Baker was touched for 10 hits and 3 runs.

CF Art Kelley (.395) smacked a double and a triple and batted in 3 runs in the win... LF Gilbert Hall (.313) added 3 hits... and four other Crusaders chipped in with a pair of hits each: RF Nicky Farrugia (.289), 1B Johnny Zaun (.409), 3B Marty Blankenship (.250) and 2B Norm Murdoch (.333)... Farrugia got the game's only homer, his third in the postseason... 2B Simon Penbroke (.444) led the Catamounts at the plate with 3 hits.

Tybobbian Union

HAWKS SLIPS BY BRAVES AGAIN, WIN 4-3 IN GAME 2
The home town North Hills Hawks rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to slip past Chicopee 4-3 to win the first two games of the Tycobbian league championship series... gritty Frank Lambert sucked it up and blanked the Braves after a 3-run clout by Alfredo Cobos put him deep in the hole in the opening frame... Lambert (2-0/4.00) went all the way surrendering just 6 hits to the hard-hitting Braves... he walked 5 and fanned 4 in the victory... SS Steve Shearer (.313) led the offense with 3 doubles, 2 runs and 2 RBIs... CF Kris Anastas (.240) added 2 hits and 2 runs batted in... Cobos (.419) got two hits for the Braves... southpaw Ryan Ledbetter (1-1/2.66) caught the loss, hurling 7 and two-thirds innings, permitting 4 runs on 7 hits with 7 Ks and 4 walks.

Shearer tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh with a double... he then scored the game-winning run on a double by Anastas... in the second inning back-to-back two-baggers by RF Nicky Bowen (.333) and Shearer cut the Chicopee lead to 3-1... in the fifth frame Shearer and Anastas teamed up again for the second Hawks' run when Shearer doubled and scored on Anastas' base hit.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 6, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

ST. JOHN WHIPS COLD CREEK 3RD TIME, MAY SWEEP
The St. John Crusaders topped Cold Creek for the third game in a row to move very close to a sweep in the Ruthlandian Final 4... the Crusaders held off the Catamounts 5-4 in game three played at Cathedal Stadium in St. John... they built up a 5-2 lead after six innings and then fought off a Cold Creek rally in the top of the ninth... the Catamounts scored two runs and had the bases loaded when the Crusaders finally managed to get the final out... Lou Gianakos (2-1/3.91) tossed a complete game, fanned 4 batters and walked one, while allowing 4 runs on 9 hits... Gianakos and Nicky Farrugia led the Crusader bats with 2 RBIs each... Rob Hutchins (2-1/3.13) toiled in defeat, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings.

St. John had 8 hits with 1B Johnny Zaun (.440) and 3B Marty Blankenship (.273) delivering 2 hits each... Zaun had an RBI triple... RF Nicky Farrugia (.293) hit a 2-run homer in the first inning... its was his fourth in the postseason... C Arved Tarand (.313) homered for the Catamounts... and 1B Eric Hollister (.357) and 2B Pat Ellis (.222) cracked 2 hits apiece... Hollister drove in 2 runs and Ellis scored twice... Cold Creek had 9 hits in the game.

Tycobbian Union

BIG INNING LIFTS BRAVES OVER HAWKS 7-5
Things were not going well for Chicopee in game three of the TU Final 4 Series at the Brewster Street Ballpark... North Hills was ahead in the series two games to none and had a 1-0 lead after 6 innings, then the Braves' bats exploded for 7 runs in the seventh to get them back into the series... Chicopee had to survive a 4-run ninth by North Hills to rack up its first win in the series 7-5... Alfredo Cobos' (.412) continued his torrid hitting with a grand slam homer, his fourth in the playoffs... that gave him 18 RBIs in the postseason... the playoff record is 22 by Tony Blundell, who led the Red Bluff Red Sox to the Pro Cup title in 2007... the home-run record is 8, set by Bailey Norcross of the IPA champion Middlefield Roosters in 2005... winning pitcher Byron Wilson (2-0/1.62) was sharp as a tack as he held the Hawks to just one run and 6 hits in 8 innings, but his bullpen almost blew it for him... Wilson walked no one in the game and posted 5 Ks... Kajika Fleetwood was shelled for 4 runs in the ninth before Johnny Stewart came on with the bases loaded to get the last out and his third save.

Both teams had 11 hits each... 2B Todd Goodwin (.244), SS Felix Roubique (.286) and C Joel Gamble (.242) paced the Braves with 2 hits apiece... North Hills' offensive leaders were 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.450) with 3 hits and 3B Tommy Vavas (.344) and CF Kris Anastas (.276) with 2 hits each... and C Mikhail Romanovsky (.200) and Vavas had 2 RBIs apiece.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 7, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

ST. JOHN SWEEPS COLD CREEK, KIRK WINS 8-1
Jeremy Kirk fired a 2-hitter and struck out 10 as the St. John Crusaders demoralized Cold Creek 8-1 to sweep the Ruthlandian crown in four games... the Crusaders are now bound for the Pro Cup Finals for the first time ever against the winner of the North Hills-Chicopee series from the Tycobbian Final 4 Series... Kirk (3-1/2.36) was brilliant, limiting the Catamounts to a single home run by Eric Hollister in the fifth inning, which put Cold Creek up 1-0... the Crusaders finally got on the scoreboard with 2 in the sixth on CF Art Kelley's single and C Sawyer Deane's sac fly... all hell broke loose in the eighth when St. John mauled them for 6 more runs to clinch the victory.

The Crusaders lashed out 12 hits, sparked by 2 hits apiece from 1B Johnny Zaun (.448), RF Nicky Farrugia (.304), CF Art Kelley (.370)... Zaun and C Sawyer Deane (.293) led the winners with 2 runs batted in each... Cold Creek's ace J. J. Gillespie (2-1/3.00) had a dismal day and gave up 5 runs on 7 hits in 7-plus innings... Gillespie, the IPA ERA leader, permitted 3 earned runs, struck out 8 and issued 5 bases on balls in a poor perfromance.

St. John was rated the fourth-best team in the playoffs, while Cold Creek was ranked sixth. This will be the Crusaders first appearance in the Pro Cup Finals.

Crusaders manager Clayton Luck told the press, "Everything went our way... just like we did in the regular season we hit well and we pitched well... Kirk was super in his two starts, especially the last one... Kirk and our overall hitting were the keys to beating Cold Creek."

Cold Creek skipper Scoop Lemieux chimed in and agreed with Luck, "The Crusaders are a very well-balanced club with good pitching and good hitters throughout their line-up... our only chance was to shut down their offense and we didn't do it... they handled our mound staff as well as any team we played this year."

Tycobbian Union

HAWKS BUMP OFF BRAVES 7-5 WITH BIG 9TH
North Hills took a giant step toward the Tycobbian league championship with a 7-5 victory on the road in Chicopee to go ahead three games to one in the best-of-seven series... a 3-run ninth polished off the Braves... Jeff Owens (3-1/2.20) gritted it out, limiting the high-powered Braves to one earned run in 8 innings... Owens was tagged for 7 hits and 4 runs, struck out 4 and walked 4... Kyle Oliver relieved him with a 7-4 lead and managed to get the save despite giving up a run... it was Oliver first save in the playoffs this year.

The Hawks roughed up Chicopee for 14 hits, while the Braves picked up 9 hits... North Hills leaped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a 2-run double by RF Gerry Rice (.381) and an RBI double by CF Kris Anastas (.273)... Chicopee evened up with 3 runs in the second frame helped out by 2 Hawks' errors... SP Heyota Chaska (.091) and 2B Todd Goodwin (.239) got RBIs in the inning.

Both teams scored a run in the eighth... Rice got a run in on a fielder's choice for the Hawks and pinchhitter Pierre Giguere (.400) singled in the Chicopee run.

2B Kiril Ivonoski (.480) scored 3 times and had 3 hits to pace the Hawks... Rice had 3 hits and 3 RBIs... and 1B Ric Hamilton (.341) also socked 3 hits, scored a run and drove one in... the Braves' top performers were SS Felix Roubique (.323) and 1B Kurt Gustavsen (.333)... they both had 2 hits each.

Judd Hampton (0-1/10.80) suffered the loss in relief of Heyota Chaska... Hampton was pounded for 3 runs and 3 hits in the fatal ninth... Chaska pitched fairly well... he allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in 8 innings, fanned 5 and walked none.

Chicopee manager Ivan Burkholder got some bad news from the team doctors... his number-two starter Ryan Ledbetter (17-14/3.93) will probably miss his next start because of a sore elbow... Ledbetter will be replaced by Ben Ituha, who was 12-5 in the regular season with a 3.89 ERA... Ledbetter, a southpaw, has been effective in the postseason with a 1-1 record in 3 starts with an impressive 2.66 ERA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 8, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Tycobbian Union

BRAVES REMAIN ALIVE, TOP HAWKS 10-9 IN 12 INNINGS
It took a lot for the Chicopee Braves to remain alive in game five of the Tycobbian Union championship series... the Braves had to overcome 17 hits and 12 walks to finally subdue North Hills 10-9 in 12 innings... the win narrowed the Hawks' lead to three games to two... PH Rich Nellis got the winning run in with a deep liner to center.

Chicopee started like a ball of fire and had a 9-3 lead after 4 innings, but North Hills rebounded with 5 in the sixth and a tying-run in the ninth to send the game into overtime... outhit 17 to 11 the Braves were led at the plate by 3B Cooter Whitter (.313), who swatted a grand-slam homer... LF Alfredo Cobos (.408), who tripled in 2 runs and now has 20 RBIs in the postseason... 2 more and Cobos will tie the IPA playoff mark... and RF Iron Jacket Chandler (.333), who doubled in 2 runs... Cobos had 3 hits and 2B Todd Goodwin (.255) had 2 hits to top the Braves.

The Hawks biggest bats were 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.500), RF Gerry Rice (.423), and C Mikhail Romanovsky (.300), all with 3 hits apiece... RF Adam Thurgood (.233) slugged a 3-run homer and 1B Ric Hamilton (.326) and SS Norris Henry (.333) poked solo roundtrippers... and pinchhitter Marshall Caine (.500) delivered a 2-run triple.

The fifth Brave pitcher Jacy Hekaka (1-0/1.80) worked 4 and two-thirds innings for the victory, permitting just one run on 4 hits... the Hawks' fifth hurler David Michael (0-1/9.00), who came on in the 12th was the loser... a walk to SS Felix Roubique (.314) and single by C Joel Gamble (.237) put runners on the corners and set the stage for Nellis' (.000) game-winning fly ball.

Should they be needed, games six and seven will be played at the Hawk's Nest in North Hills... game six is tomorrow afternoon... Byron Wilson (13-10/4.12) is the Chicopee starter and David Michael (20-18/3.42) got the assignment for North Hills... Wilson has been the Braves' best starter in the postseason with a 2-0 and an outstanding 1.62 ERA... Michael has been in the bullpen for the Hawks and has pitched only one inning and has an 0-1 mark... Michael got the start instead of Nelson Hooper (21-7/3.06), who has been terrible in the playoffs with an 0-2 record and a horrendous 6.59 ERA in his 2 starts.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 9, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Tycobbian Union

HAWKS HEADED FOR PRO CUP FINALS
The North Hills Hawks are headed for another crack at the Pro Cup and it was all because of David Michael, the forgotten hero and MVP of the 2034 Pro Cup season... due to an overabundance of starters, Michael was exiled to the bullpen duty this postseason, but he was called on as the game six starter when the chips were down and he responded in grand fashion... Michael (1-1/1.80) stumped powerful Chicopee 3-1 on 4 hits to eliminate them from the playoffs four games to two... he outpitched Byron Wilson (2-1/2.19), who hurled a solid game, giving up only 3 runs on 10 hits in 8 innings.

Michael and Wilson pitched shutout ball until the seventh when North Hills broke through for 3 runs... 1B Ric Hamilton (.340) started it with a solo homer, his second of the postseason... then three straight singles by RF Gerry Rice (.448), C Mikhail Romanovsky (.348) and CF Kris Anastas (.262) loaded up the bases for Michael (.333), who delivered a clutch 2-run hit... Chicopee got its only score in the ninth when 1B Kurt Gustavsen (.318) went deep.

Chicopee was the number-two ranked club remaining in the playoffs after they disposed of the top-rated Tuckanarra Blue Jays, who were the defending IPA champion... however, number three North Hills was too much for the Braves... normally it's the vaunted Hawks' mound corps that gets the press, but it was the bats that blistered the Braves into oblivion.

Manager Todd Simons spoke in glowing terms of his hitters... "For us to beat an offensive juggernaut like Chicopee, we couldn't do it with pitching alone... no matter who I put in the lineup they came through with flying colors... it was a great series." He also praised starter Jeff Owens, David Michael and his bullpen for a job well done... "Without Jeff's standout work, we wouldn't have gotten where we are... and what can you say about David... he really was magnificent today in game six and will be much needed in the Pro Cup Finals... I think he has more than earned a spot in the starting rotation again."

Braves skipper Ivan Burkholder praised his team, "We beat a great Tuckanarra squad and then we ran into another terrific team and were beaten... my Braves are a heck of a team and I'm proud of them... we went down fighting and that all a manager can ask of his players."

The 2036 Pro Cup Series begins this Sunday afternoon in North Hills at the Hawk's Nest... Jeremy Kirk (19-15/3.64) will take the mound for visiting St. John in game one... he will be opposed by North Hills' Jeff Owens (23-12/2.99)... both of them have been sharp in the postseason... Kirk is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA, while Owens is 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 10, 2036

HAWKS-CRUSADERS VIE FOR IPA PRO CUP
The 36th rendition of the IPA Pro Cup Finals is scheduled to begin this Sunday afternoon at the Hawk's Nest in North Hills... the hometown Hawks, the winner of the Tycobbian title will tangle with the St. John Crusaders, the victors in the Ruthlandian Union for Islandian baseball supremacy... It's a best-of-seven affair... game one starters are Jeremy Kirk (19-15/3.64) for St. John and Jeff Owens (23-12/2.99) for North Hills... in the postseason Kirk has a 3-1 mark with a 2.36 ERA, while Owens is 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA.

There is no clear-cut favorite in this year's Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals... it's a coin toss among the experts... the North Hills Hawks (96-58) and the St. John Crusaders (93-61) are rated just about dead even... it may come down to the home-field advantage, which North Hills enjoys because of a better season record... Also North Hills had the tougher task to reach the IPA championship round... they had to beat powerful Chicopee, the conquerors of the defending crownbearer, the potent Tuckanarra Blue Jays... St. John had the easier road as they defeated unheralded Colfax and Cold Creek... the Tucks were ranked #1 and Chicopee #2 in the Pro Cup poll, while Cold Creek was #6 and Colfax #8.

The oddsmakers have installed the Hawks as a very slight favorite... they have the home advantage, better starting pitching and better defense... during the regular season North Hills had a .271 team BA(6th), 706 runs (14th), 120 HRs (28th-tied) and a .978 FA... the Hawks' starters posted an impressive 3.18 ERA and the bullpen a .298 ERA (6th)... St. John batted .276 (4th) with 789 runs (2nd-tied), 153 roundtrippers (16th-tied) and a better-than-average .974 FA... the Crusaders' starters compiled a pretty good 3.54 ERA (6th) and the bullpen chalked up a 2.85 ERA (6th).

In the playoffs St. John (8-3) had the better stats with a .304 BA and a 2.76 ERA... however, they played less-talented competition... North Hills (8-3) hit .302 with a 3.71 ERA... but the Hawks outscored the Crusaders 62 to 52 and outhomered them 8 to 6... both clubs were unbeaten at home... St. John was 6-0 at home and 2-3 out of town... North Hills was 5-0 at home and 3-3 on the road.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 11, 2036

HAWKS FAVORED OVER CRUSADERS IN PRO CUP
The North Hills Hawks of the Tycobbian Union got a slight nod over the St. John Crusaders of the Ruthlandian Union in the 2036 IPA Pro Cup Series that begins tomorrow at the Hawk's Nest in North Hills... the prognosticators cited better starting pitching, defense, homefield advantage and title series' experience... the Hawks won their only Pro Cup just two years ago... this is the first time in history that the Crusaders have gotten this far... they have never won a Pro Cup.

North Hills manager Todd Simons has three 20-game winners on the his mound staff... he will use All-Star portsider Jeff Owens (23-12/2.99) and David Michael (20-18/3.42) as his top two starters... and either Frank Lambert (18-8/2.85) or Nelson Hooper (21-7/3.06) in the third spot... Michael was the 2034 Pro Cup Most Valuable Player... Owens is 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA in the postseason... Michael is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA... Lambert (2-0/5.70) and Hooper (0-2/6.59) have struggled in the playoffs.

The top Hawk bats in the regular campaign belong to All-Star LF Adam Thurgood (.341/32/127/75), RF Gerry Rice (.336/3/44/61), 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.320/1/33/38), 3B Tommy Vavas (.297/9/43/88) and CF Kris Anastas (.290/6/39/57)... in the playoffs it's been Rice (.448/0/9/4), Ivonoski (.441/ 1/8/9), SS Norris Henry (.343/1/1/1/6), 1B Ric Hamilton (.340/2/10/6) and Vavas (.313/0/6/11)... Thurgood doesn't have much of an average with a .216 BA in the postseason, but he has been productive with 3 homers, 7 RBIs and 7 runs.

St. John's skipper Clayton Luck will use Jeremy Kirk (19-15/3.64), left-hander Vito Sanfratello (15-15/3.21) and All-Star Lou Gianakos (21-13/3.07) as his starting threesome... there is also a chance southpaw Lou Page (16-6/3.29) might get a start as well... Kirk, the IPA strikeout leader, is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA in the playoffs so far... Sanfrantello came from Hartsdale at the trade deadline and was an excellent 9-2 with a 1.92 ERA in the last two months of the season for the Hawks... in the postseason Sanfratello is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA... Gianakos is 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA and Page in relief is 0-0 with one save and no runs allowed in 6 innings and 3 appearances.

In the regular season the Crusaders were sparked offensively by All-Star RF Nicky Farrugia (.323/34/121/113), CF Art Kelley (.309/33/92/89), All-Star SS Byron Johannsen (.325/8/67/81) and 1B Johnny Zaun (.334/6/52/53)... in the postseason the leaders have been Zaun (.438/0/6/8), Kelley (.340/0/9/5) and Farrugia (.320/4/6/8)... Johannsen missed the last three games against Cold Creek with a bad back... he is batting only .211, but has driven 7 runs and scored 5 times in the playoffs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 12, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

HAWKS EDGE CRUSADERS 2-1, OWENS BESTS KIRK
In game one of the IPA Pro Cup Finals the fans saw an old-fashioned pitching duel won by North Hills 2-1 over St. John... both hurlers went the distance with Jeff Owens outpitching Jeremy Kirk... it was Owens' (4-0/1.94) fourth postseason victory... he stopped the Crusaders on 5 hits... RBI singles by Norris Henry and Gerry Rice paved the way to victory and beat Jeremy Kirk (3-2/2.34), who allowed only 7 hits, struck out 6 and walked 3.

Kirk had a 1-0 shutout until he gave up single runs in the eighth and ninth inning... St. John's only score came in the top of the third when LF Gilbert Hall (.273) plated 1B Johnny Zaun (.438) from third when he grounded out to second base... a triple by SS Norris Henry (.343) and single by 3B Tommy Vavas (.308) tied the score in the eighth... and a triple by LF Adam Thurgood (.216) and a single by RF Gerry Rice (.469) won the game... Henry and RF Gerry Rice led the Hawks at bat with a pair of hits each... RF Nicky Farrugia (.320) and 2B Norm Murdoch (.341) collected 2 hits apiece for the Crusaders.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 13, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

MICHAEL BLANKS ST. JOHN 3-0, NORTH HILLS UP BY 2
When the stakes get high, David Michael stands even taller on the mound... just a few days ago he won game six that clinched the Tycobbian League title by throttling Chicopee 3-1... well, Michael is right back at it with a 3-0 shutout over the St. John Crusaders to send his Hawks up two games to none in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... the 29-year-old righty restricted the Crusaders to just 2 hits in his 8 innings, finishing with 3 walks and 3 Ks... Michael is now 2-1 in the postseason with a 1.00 ERA... he gave way to closer Kyle Oliver, who notched his second playoff save with a scoreless ninth... Vito Sanfratello (2-2/3.38) suffered the loss, surrendering 3 runs and 8 hits in 7 frames... he posted 4 walks and struck out 5.

The Hawks got single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings... Michael had a hand in the first run when he doubled and later scored on 2B Kiril Ivonoski's (.452) fielder's choice... in the fourth back-to-back doubles by C Mikhail Romanovsky (.310) and SS Skippy Shearer (.286) made it 2-0... and the final run came in on 1B Ric Hamilton's (.345) RBI single... the Crusaders managed only 3 hits in all... SP Sanfratello (.111) singled in the third... RF Nicky Farrugia (.315) had a base hit in the seventh... and SS Byron Johannsen (.214) had a two-bagger in the ninth... Hamilton and Ivonoski smacked 2 hits each for the winners.

The series will now switch to Cathedral Stadium in St. John for at least games three and four, where the Crusaders are unbeaten this year in the playoffs... they have won 6 in a row... North Hills is also unbeaten at home with 7 straight victories... the Hawks are 3-3 away from the Hawk's Nest, while St. John is only 2-5 on the road.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 14, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

HAWKS WHIP CRUSADERS AGAIN, UP 3-0 IN SERIES
The North Hills Hawks got great pitching again and broke St. John's 6-game home-winning streak in the playoff... it was Frankie Lambert going all the way in a 3-2 victory at Cathedral Stadium to send the Hawks ahead three games to none in the best-of-seven IPA Pro Cup Finals... one more Hawk triumph and they will capture their second IPA crown in three years... North Hills has won three low-scoring affairs and has limited the St. John offense to just 3 runs so far.

Lambert (3-0/4.85) only permitted 2 runs on 8 hits, walked only one and fanned 5... Norris Henry slammed a solo homer in the ninth for the deciding run and sent Lou Gianakos (2-2/3.69) down to defeat... Gianakos pitched well, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits, chalking up 8 strikeouts, while walking 4 batters.

North Hills opened the scoring in the opening frame on an RBI double by 1B Ric Hamilton (.356) that scored SS Norris Henry (.375), who had led off the game with a single... St. John grabbed the lead in the bottom part of the frame when RF Nicky Farrugia (.328) singled in 2B Norm Murdoch (.304) and 1B Johnny Zaun (.421) tripled in Farrugia... Gianakos held the score to 2-1 until the seventh when the Hawks got even on SS Norris Henry's single that drove in 2B Tommy Vavas (.300)... then hero Henry won with his blast in the ninth.

Henry paced North Hills with 3 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBIs... Hamilton and Vavas chipped in with a pair of hits each... Hamilton had 2 doubles... Farrugia and Zaun led the losers with 2 hits and an RBI apiece.

The Hawks will try to sweep the series tomorrow afternoon with their ace on the hill... it will be southpaw Jeff Owens, a 23-game winner, opposed by right-hander Jeremy Kirk, who will start for the Crusaders... Kirk won 19 games in the regular season... Owens is 4-0 in the playoffs with a superb 1.94 ERA... Kirk is 3-2 with a strong 2.34 ERA in the postseason... Owens beat him in game one 2-1.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 15, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

CRUSADERS ALIVE, KIRK SHOOTS DOWN HAWKS 2-0
The magnificent mound work continued in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... however it was St. John that came out on the winning side after suffering three close losses in a row to the North Hills Hawks... at home at Cathedral Stadium Jeremy Kirk kept the Crusaders alive with a 2-0 shutout to narrow the Hawks' lead to three games to one... Kirk (4-2/1.98) did a sterling job blanking North Hills on 7 hits... the IPA strikeout king fired 9 strikeouts and walked only one batter... St. John snapped a scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Byron Johannsen and an RBI single by Sawyer Deane... then in the eighth they did it again on a second double by Johannsen and another RBI single by Deane.

North Hills got a strong outing from its ace Jeff Owens (4-1/1.99), who also tossed a complete game, allowed just 2 runs on 8 hits with 3 Ks and 2 walks... it was Owen's first loss in this year's playoffs.

Johannsen (.240) and Deane (.250) led the St. John attack with 2 hits apiece, while the Hawks' top batsman was C Mikhail Romanovsky (.361) with 3 hits.

Game five is also slated for St. John, where the Crusaders are 7-1 in the playoffs... as road team the Hawks are 4-4... right-hander David Michael will get the call for North Hills and southpaw Vito Sanfratello will go for St. John... Michael was 20-18 in the regular season, while Sanfratello was 15-15... in the postseason Michael is 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA and Sanfratello is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA... Michael whipped Sanfratello 3-0 in the second game of the series... if needed games six and seven will be played at the Hawk's Nest in North Hills.